Polamalu: Steelers must stick to old formula

[sentinel33]

i think aaron smith's name is left out of the defensive formula conversation way too much. he's a pro bowler who never gets selected. the same thing happened in'07. both he and troy went down and we couldnt cope. its like losing ed reed and halolti ngata. just cant replace certain players.
this team now has two bell-cow rb's in mendenhall and dwyer. if we don't run the ball 55-57% of the time i will be surprised. people want to talk about a winning formula it's running the ball and letting ben do his thing 20-30 times a game.
I for one think that roethlisberger will have his finest yeat to date. it may not be as gaudy as last years but as far as qb rating and comp. %, he will be outstanding.
we will go 2-2 in the opening qrtr. of the season and lose two more along the way. I'm also calling 2 1000 yrd. rushers with the ball being spread all over the field in the air. no wr will have a 1000 yrds.
Smash mouth. offensively and defensively. cant wait

[RuthlessBurgher]

i think aaron smith's name is left out of the defensive formula conversation way too much. he's a pro bowler who never gets selected. the same thing happened in'07. both he and troy went down and we couldnt cope. its like losing ed reed and halolti ngata. just cant replace certain players.
this team now has two bell-cow rb's in mendenhall and dwyer. if we don't run the ball 55-57% of the time i will be surprised. people want to talk about a winning formula it's running the ball and letting ben do his thing 20-30 times a game.
I for one think that roethlisberger will have his finest yeat to date. it may not be as gaudy as last years but as far as qb rating and comp. %, he will be outstanding.
we will go 2-2 in the opening qrtr. of the season and lose two more along the way. I'm also calling 2 1000 yrd. rushers with the ball being spread all over the field in the air. no wr will have a 1000 yrds.
Smash mouth. offensively and defensively. cant wait

I don't think we come anywhere close to running the ball 55-57% of the time.

Last year, out of 1014 snaps, we ran the ball 428 times (averaged 4.2 yards per rush) and passed the ball 536 times (averaged 8.4 yards per pass), plus 50 sacks (which of course, were originally intended to be pass plays). I don't see any way this team does a complete about-face going from 42% runs to 55-57% runs. That just doesn't happen.

The number of teams that run more than pass these days can be counted on one hand (they are typically teams with rookie QB's, like the Jets last year). I suspect that we may be closer to 50-50 balance since we will be without our franchise QB for a quarter for the season, but overall, I see maybe a 54-46 ratio in favor of the pass this year.

[feltdizz]

Troy needs to do his part and not get hurt because it ruins the "old formula." Seems like the other teams we played last year got some insights into what the "old formula" is all about and exploited it.

Maybe we need a "new formula."

I love how Polamalu gets hurt and misses alot of games for the FIRST time in his career and all of a sudden he is labled INJURY PRONE by the Steeler Nation. For the record he has played in 03- 16 games, 04- 16, 05- 16, 06- 13, 07 -11, 08- 16 and 09 -5. Hardly injury prone. Polamalu is our Best player. He is the best at his position in the NFL hands down, you can't name another SS better than him and its not like he said "I think I will get hurt today". Like he planned a 300Lb lineman landing on his knee. Come on

In your own words, he has played only one full season out of the last four. If you are going to build your defense around one player, then that player had better be in there... if he happens to miss two or three games, or more, there goes your season.

Our whole D isn't built around Troy... Troy is just so damn good it looks like it is. It's not like we call Troy's number all game.. he just flies all over the field and makes it happen.

Ben is our leader on offense and he hasn't played a full 16 yet, I think...

Our D is built around the LB's... always has been.

[feltdizz]

i think aaron smith's name is left out of the defensive formula conversation way too much. he's a pro bowler who never gets selected. the same thing happened in'07. both he and troy went down and we couldnt cope. its like losing ed reed and halolti ngata. just cant replace certain players.
this team now has two bell-cow rb's in mendenhall and dwyer. if we don't run the ball 55-57% of the time i will be surprised. people want to talk about a winning formula it's running the ball and letting ben do his thing 20-30 times a game.
I for one think that roethlisberger will have his finest yeat to date. it may not be as gaudy as last years but as far as qb rating and comp. %, he will be outstanding.
we will go 2-2 in the opening qrtr. of the season and lose two more along the way. I'm also calling 2 1000 yrd. rushers with the ball being spread all over the field in the air. no wr will have a 1000 yrds.
Smash mouth. offensively and defensively. cant wait

in 2007 A. Smith went down and the D struggled some but we didn't collapse. We lost a very winnable game against the Jags and we had 3 TO's in the first half.

A.Smith is good but he is not pro bowl material... he is great in our system but he isn't elite like some say he is. A very solid vet but ummmm.... maybe we need to talk about A.Smith's durability instead of Troy's freak injury last year.

[HeHateMe]

Troy needs to do his part and not get hurt because it ruins the "old formula." Seems like the other teams we played last year got some insights into what the "old formula" is all about and exploited it.

Maybe we need a "new formula."

I love how Polamalu gets hurt and misses alot of games for the FIRST time in his career and all of a sudden he is labled INJURY PRONE by the Steeler Nation. For the record he has played in 03- 16 games, 04- 16, 05- 16, 06- 13, 07 -11, 08- 16 and 09 -5. Hardly injury prone. Polamalu is our Best player. He is the best at his position in the NFL hands down, you can't name another SS better than him and its not like he said "I think I will get hurt today". Like he planned a 300Lb lineman landing on his knee. Come on

In your own words, he has played only one full season out of the last four. If you are going to build your defense around one player, then that player had better be in there... if he happens to miss two or three games, or more, there goes your season.

My point is and was- that he is NOT injury proned. MOST SS miss games. It is a VIOLENT position. Ronnie Lott the best SS of all time fell short of YOUR standard in 6 of his 14 seasons. I can do the same thing. Polamalu played in EVERY game 4 seasons out of his first 6. Ben only played in 12 games when we won it in 05 so I guess your "There goes your season" proclamation is flawed.